


You're cordially invited...

by hifftn



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: 'tis the season to write fluffy Christmas trash, F/M, Fluff and Smut, and some silliness, just the good stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28129635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hifftn/pseuds/hifftn
Summary: Quincey got invited to Giant Goldfish Publishing's Christmas party and Tora has to accompany him as his bodyguard. But Christmas parties suck and Tora knows this one will be a bore. Or won't it?
Relationships: Tora/Poppy Wilkes
Comments: 45
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ho ho ho-ly moly, I just can't stop writing for this adorable couple. This is just a little something that popped up in my mind at 3am so here you are. Merry Christmas (for those who celebrate) and happy holidays!  
> All characters belong to Lilydusk, I just love to play with them.
> 
> Edit: omg, stop tempting me into writing that dinner, I still have to finish 'Ask me anything' before Tora dies of blue balls.  
> ...  
> ..  
> .  
> Dammit, I gotta write that dinner now, huh?

Tora scanned the room for the umpteenth time. A party. Even worse, a Christmas party. And worst of all, an office Christmas party.  
Quincey had jumped at the invitation, had immediately called Poppy to tell her they would come and that they were looking forward to it. That was probably true for Quincey, but Tora was less than thrilled at the thought of spending a whole evening with a bunch of people he barely knew, all probably drunk and in high spirits, and Quinceton who got all clingy and whiny when he was drunk around Christmas. Great.  
But there was also Bobby. She invited them so he would come, of course.  
And he didn’t regret it.  
She was smiling brightly, wearing a sweater with a reindeer face on the front and when she turned around, Tora saw the back - both of the sweater and the reindeer. On top of that she had some tinsel in her hair and wore stockings looking like candy canes.  
How could someone be so dorky and adorable at the same time, he wondered as he leaned against a wall, arms crossed in front of his black turtleneck sweater. She was the Christmas fairy and he was the grinch.  
Quincey mingled like he always did at parties, a cup of eggnog in his hand. He spilled half of it when he gestured vividly while talking with someone. Another author? Someone from the staff? Tora didn’t care, he didn’t know that person but would keep an eye on them, just in case. That was his job after all.  
“Well, Mr. Bodyguard, is it against your beliefs to have fun?”  
He turned his head just enough to recognize Erdene standing next to him, wearing a tight and low cut sparkling dress. She had one arm in front of her, hand resting in the crook of her other arm. Following her gaze towards the spot where Poppy now chatted with Quincey, Tora just shrugged.  
“Who says I’m not havin’ fun?”  
“Standing here, just watching and not even drinking?” Erdene held out a cup of what smelled like punch towards him and he shrugged again.  
“I’m on duty. But go on and get wasted, I’ll call ya a cab to take ya home later.”  
“Don’t worry, big boy, I know my limits. Talking about limits… has Poppy greeted you already?”  
She had waved at him when they had arrived, already in a conversation with someone else. So far there hadn’t been the chance to actually talk. A lot of people wanted to talk to her, it seemed. Most of them guys. Tora gritted his teeth, his fingers twitching so that he balled them into tight fists. He inhaled deeply.  
“Why do ya ask?”  
“Because you should pay some attention to our decoration. Jacob and I added a little something she isn’t aware of yet.” Erdene pointed upwards, to the ceiling, where Tora spotted a sprig of mistletoe in the general direction of the refreshment table, just a few steps to the right.  
“Dunno what that has to do with limits, though,” he grumbled, a plan already forming in his mind.  
“Because that’s the limit of my willingness to help,” Erdene coolly replied, downed her drink and waved lazily before she wandered off again.  
Tora scoffed. He wasn’t that obvious, was he? He could hear Quincey laughing out loud, there was some annoying Christmas music blaring and somewhere something fell down and clattered on the floor. But his eyes were trained on Poppy, how she talked with this other guy, her eyes sparkling and her expression ever changing. He already pondered how to lure her under the mistletoe. And once she was under it, he would just point up and revel in her expression. He could already imagine it, how her eyes would widen, her mouth shaped into a small ‘o’, the blush creeping into her cheeks as the meaning of the little decoration dawned on her. He would shoot her a grin, maybe flash some dimples since she seemed to be weak for that, before he would lean in but stop just shy from her lips.  
‘What’s up, Bobby-’ no, not that nickname. Sweetheart. Yeah, that would be better.  
‘What’s up, sweetheart? Gonna ignore a tradition?’ And then he would wait. For her to close the distance, to gather her courage and kiss him. A peck, probably, so he would follow up with a proper kiss. Of course he would shield her with his body from prying eyes, he didn’t want anyone to see her all flustered. Fuck, she was so darn cute when she was flustered.  
So, how to get her under the mistletoe? Especially so she wouldn’t notice it until he pointed it out? He had to be cunning, sneaky even. Just like his namesake he would hunt tonight, he would herd her like a predator his prey until he had reached his goal.  
For the first time in ages he was excited about something.  
Poppy just waved briefly to her conversation partner and turned around, heading for the refreshment table. Tora straightened, ready to block her way as soon as she was under the mistletoe, but before she could even get close to the spot someone else stopped her for another chat.  
Tora uncrossed his arms, opened and closed his fists a few times to keep his fingers warm and his restlessness in check. From across the room Erdene smirked at him before she downed another cup of punch. Dammit. When he looked back to where he had seen Poppy last, she was gone. Quickly he scanned the room and found her on her way to the restrooms. Okay, that was a safe path. And afterwards she would have room for some more drinks. Good, this was going according to plan. Once she went for a new drink, he could lure her under the mistletoe. His heart wasn’t fluttering or some of that girly shit, but there was a certain anticipation running through him, better than a buzz from alcohol. This lil’ hamster was really getting under his skin. If only he’d get under her clothes already.  
He was still deep in thought when he spotted Poppy weaving her way through the crowd towards the drinks.  
Ignoring the way his stomach churned he took a small step closer towards his goal. Just a few more steps. Tora licked his lips; his mouth suddenly felt so dry.  
“Oh my god, how cute is this?! Is that mistletoe? Okay, which of you naughty cuties put that there?”  
Like a bucket of cold water Quincey’s squeal hit Tora, immediately wiping out his good mood. He would kill him. Later of course, when they were alone.  
Thanks to Quincey’s loud exclamation everyone was aware of the mistletoe. Poppy looked up and scrunched up her nose. When she looked ahead again her gaze met his, the full extent of his bad mood displayed on his face. She stared at him wide eyed.  
“Uhm, hi. You think you could get that down there? I don’t think it’s appropriate for an office party.”  
Tora thought about ripping down the whole decoration, but he managed to just reach up and tug at the mistletoe. It came down easily, had only been secured by a thin thread. He handed it over, nodded curtly and went back to his spot from earlier from where he could keep watching the whole party. He didn’t sulk, of course not, but he had just been robbed of his only fun this night and he didn’t mind showing. 

Quincey was drunk. Of course he was, the whole night chatting and drinking left him completely wasted. Not for the first time Tora wondered how getting piss drunk should improve business relations, but when everyone ended up drunk and with a blackout the next morning, it shouldn’t do any harm. Except for the hangover. Which Quincey deserved, and so much more. For spoiling the whole mistletoe plan.  
Tora dragged Quincey to his car, ready to just throw him into the trunk and take him home like that.  
“Tora! Wait a moment!”  
He turned just in time to see Poppy, bundled up in a coat and with warm boots over her stockings, rushing after them. She stopped in front of him, her breath coming in small clouds.  
“Will - will he be okay?” She looked at Quincey who had passed out some moments ago.  
“Dunno. Will probably feel like shit tomorrow, but that’s his own fault.”  
Tora motioned towards the car door and Poppy quickly opened it so Tora could help Quincey on the backseat.  
“I feel bad. Quincey seemed to enjoy himself just fine, but you had to spend all night watching him. Must have been rather dull for you.”  
He shrugged. “Part of the job.”  
With a tiny nod Poppy dropped her gaze to the ground. “And thanks for helping me with the mistletoe. I know Erdene put it up there, after I told her it’s a bad idea. I mean, we’re still at the office, and what’s even worse, you never know who would use a chance like that to force a kiss on someone who doesn’t really want that.” Her cheeks had reddened, probably due to the cold. Dammit, she was adorable.  
He grunted, not a clear agreement nor the opposite. Just showing her he was listening.  
“And I for my part prefer to choose who to kiss.” She looked up again, a serious expression on her face.  
“Sounds about right.” From that point of view it actually made sense. So did that mean she didn’t want to kiss him again?  
“Well... “ She inhaled sharply, grabbed the lapels of his jacked and pulled him down to meet her in a firm kiss. Definitely not a peck.  
Before she could pull back he cupped her face with one hand, tilted it so he could deepen the kiss while his free hand came to rest on her hip. Only when he ran out of oxygen he pulled back, grinning at her dazed expression.  
Her flush had deepened further and Tora liked to think it was because of him and the kiss.  
“Uhm… do you have plans already for Christmas?”  
He brushed some hair behind her ear and shrugged.  
“Not really. I’m not the type to get excited over a holiday.”  
She gnawed on her bottom lip. “Usually I spend Christmas with my grandma, but this year I don’t have any time off and I have to stay in Narin. Would you - would you like to have Christmas dinner with me? Nothing fancy, maybe some fried chicken and a veggie curry.”  
It was winter, wasn’t it? Why the fuck was he so warm all of sudden?  
“Yeah, I think I could eat. Your place?”  
She nodded.  
“Will there be mistletoe? Just askin’, not that you’re trying to lure me there just to take advantage of me or some shit.” His chuckle made her blush even harder.  
“I thought by now I didn’t need an excuse to kiss you,” she mumbled, hiding from his gaze by burying her face in his jacket.  
Fuck, she was melting him and he didn’t even mind.  
“Nah, no excuse needed,” he confirmed and kissed her again. Maybe Christmas parties weren’t so bad after all.


	2. Christmas dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice quiet dinner at home...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I yield. So here's the dinner and yes, there will be another part. Merry Christmas to all of us!

Poppy stared at her reflection in the mirror. Erdene had said this outfit was cute and that Poppy shouldn’t worry. Her simple white shirt was fitted and luckily still clean, but the skirt was really short and the white stockings with the small red pompoms at the side were a bit too childish, even for Poppy. But then again, Christmas was only once a year and this year her plans were far from ordinary.   
Yulri had never really cared for Christmas, and Poppy had always picked the wrong presents for him, it seemed. She glanced at the drawer that hid the carefully wrapped, handmade present she had for Tora, wondering if giving him a gift was maybe too much. They weren’t really dating yet, they had just kissed a few times. And went on dates. And she sent him cute little texts which he usually answered within a couple of minutes instead of a day later or never, like Yulri did.   
She tugged her skirt down again, the red velvet shimmered in the dozens of fairy lights she had draped all over the shelves and wound around other furniture.   
Too late to change her mind now. Poppy rushed back into the kitchen where the curry was simmering away on the stove and the chicken waited in the oven, fried to perfect crispiness. He should arrive any minute now.   
She quickly shaped the rice balls, a tiger for Tora and a hamster for herself, mentally checking off her to-do list. Dinner? Check. Drinks? Check. Decorations? Check. Christmas gift that would take all of her courage to hand over? Check.   
The doorbell rang and she rushed to buzz him in before she hurried into the bathroom to wash her hands.   
“Dammit, Bobby, ya went all out, didn’t ya?” he greeted her when she opened the door for him, purposefully unlocking only when he was already in front of her apartment so he could hear it.   
“Is this - too much?” He bit her bottom lip and looked down her body only for him to shake his head.   
“Nah, looks great. Makes me feel a bit underdressed, though.”   
As if. He was wearing dark dress pants and a white shirt under his coat and looked like a male model. He handed her a paper bag and took off his shoes and coat.   
“Got us ice cream for dessert.”   
Poppy doubted he even ate ice cream, but she peeked into the bag to find an indulgent flavor combination from a rather expensive brand.   
“Wow, I wanted to try this for a whole already.” Her eyes lit up as she beamed at him.   
“Yeah, ya talked about it the other day.”   
She really had, hadn’t she? Despite his often grumpy, almost scary appearance he was actually listening when she talked.   
“Let me put this in the fridge for now and we can have dinner. Take a seat, I just have to plate and serve it.” 

Tora was glad he had dressed up a bit, already suspecting Christmas was a serious thing for Poppy after all. And he was glad he took other precautions, depending on how the evening would go. For now he plopped down on her floor, in front of her tiny table, and leaned against the bed in his back. She was milling around in the kitchen, he could hear clinking and clanking. Her whole room was illuminated with fairy lights and Christmas ornaments decorated her plants. No mistletoe, though.   
“I made dumplings as a starter,” Poppy announced and set a bowl down in front of him. The broth was steaming and three dumplings floated in it.   
She had put effort in this dinner, even if it were simple dishes. He wished he had prepared something special for her all of sudden, his present seemed so cheap.   
“Wow, looks great.” And it also tasted great. After the dumplings Poppy served rice and curry, with fried chicken in a separate bowl.   
They chatted about everything and nothing, some banter and teasing to spice up the dinner.   
Once Tora was full Poppy cleared away the dishes and scooped some ice cream into bowls.   
“Ya gonna stay that far away all night?” he asked when she went back to her side of the table.   
“Depends,” she mused and poked her ice cream with her spoon. “What will you do when I come closer?”   
He chuckled, she was so guarded most of the time. “Nothin’, really. Thought ya might wanna watch a movie or somethin’ like that.”   
“A movie? A Christmas movie?” Poppy perked up and turned around to grab her notebook.   
“Die hard?” he suggested and to his surprise, she agreed. They sat next to each other on the floor, her bed as backrest, and ate ice cream. Well, Poppy did, Tora eventually handed her his bowl so she didn’t have to go and fetch a second helping. He wasn’t keen on ice cream anyway, but she enjoyed it and so he liked to watch her eating.   
“What do you usually do for Christmas?” she asked during a quiet moment of the movie.   
“Ya mean when I get the evening off? Mostly this.” He motioned towards the screen, his shoulder brushing against hers.   
“Watching a movie after dinner?” She pulled her knees up and hugged them.   
“Yeah. The food’s usually take-out and I don’t care much about which movie. Sometimes I just play video games. Sometimes I just go to sleep.” And sometimes he had to work, even on holidays. Vincent didn’t give a fuck about Christmas or Tora’s private life, really.   
Poppy hummed and tilted her head to look at his profile.   
“What’s your favorite Christmas memory?”   
Tora reached over and paused the movie.   
“There ain’t such a thing.” When Poppy slumped even further he sighed. “Yours?”   
She chewed on the inside of her cheek, gazing up at the ceiling.   
“One year, my mom was still there so I was probably four or five, I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited about Christmas. We didn’t have a fireplace, so no stockings, but mom had told me Santa would put something under my pillow if I was good. Anyway, I couldn’t sleep and kept checking under my pillow, in case I had missed Santa. In the end I sneaked out of my bed and into the living room where my parents were both still awake, watching TV. They let me snuggle up between them, with a blanket and my plushie. I fell asleep there and woke up the next morning in their bed, with a present under my pillow. That was - I don’t know, just wonderfully cozy and magical for me as a kid.” She straightened again and stretched her arms up. “A bit later she left us, so that was the last Christmas as an actual family.”   
He had no memories of family Christmas anyway, but her tone made him wrap an arm around her shoulder and pull her against his side.   
“The years after that, my dad did his best to make the holidays fun and together with grandma we had some really great years.” Until her father had died and Christmas, as any other holiday, got bleaker and quieter.   
And this year she was all alone, in her tiny apartment, without any family. At least she had company.   
“Okay, Bobby, here’s the deal. I brought somethin’, just in case, but just because it’s Christmas and stuff. Don’t read too much into it, got it?” She snuggled closer against him and nodded.   
“‘kay. Lemme go and grab it, ‘s still in the car.” He pressed a kiss on the top of her head and got up.  
While Tora was gone Poppy rushed around and cleared away the ice cream bowls, fixed her clothes and let some air into the small room. When he came back she closed the balcony door again and sat down on the bed.   
Tora held a huge case which Poppy recognized as guitar case. She fought the excited grin but lost, it brightened up her whole face.   
“Dunno many Christmas songs, though,” he warned her as he opened the case and took out the guitar. After he tuned it he sat down next to her and inhaled deeply. “I don’t play often for others. Actually I never do.” The first few notes faded, he just warmed up his fingers and tried to figure out what to play. He settled on a song he enjoyed playing and listening to around Christmas.   
“That’s nice,” Poppy remarked. “But I don’t think I know that one.”   
“‘Driving home for Christmas’, by Chris Rea.” He focused on the chords. “Christmas classic, but not as trashy or overplayed as others.”   
She hummed and listened, knees pulled up and eyes closed the rather quiet song.   
He mixed it up with some not Christmas songs and some season classics.   
“How long are you playing already?” Her eyes were trained on his fingers, how they easily slid over the strings, knowing exactly where to touch.  
“Couple of years. Figured it would impress the chicks.”   
She snorted. “As if you needed help with that.”   
“I was a teenager. Couldn’t know chicks would just throw themselves at me just because I’m tall.”   
“And a hunk. Don’t forget that part.”   
His laughter made him lose track of the song, he stopped and smirked at her. “Ya think I’m a hunk?”   
“Well, you are tall and definitely handsome. Don’t pretend you don’t know exactly how good looking you are, Mr. Thug.” Despite her blush she held his gaze, the warm honey of his eyes sparkled in the fairy lights, the deep brown of hers reflected his face.   
He strummed some more chords, eyes cast down to his guitar again.   
“You are good with your hands,” she pointed out and he paused again.   
“Are ya hittin’ on me?”   
“I - I mean with the guitar.” Her face erupted in more heat as he chuckled.   
“Here, learned this one for tonight.” He plucked some notes and she grinned as she recognized it. ‘All I want for Christmas.’   
“Hey, Tora?”   
“Hmm?” Still playing he looked at her, now just repeating the same chords. Poppy swallowed thickly and took a deep breath.  
“Would you like to stay the night?”


	3. Fight or flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poppy and Tora have to make a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, chapter 57 made me want to wrap Tora up in a blanket and cuddle the hell out of him. Poor baby, all he wants is some actual connection and Poppy keeps him at an arm length away. This got a bit more serious than what I had planned for this story, but here we are.

The music faded away and Poppy grew nervous. Well, even more nervous than she already was. Panicky, almost.   
Tora set the guitar down and turned to face her.   
“When ya say ‘stay the night’, what do ya mean?” Under his serious gaze she squirmed, wringing her hands.   
“I - I mean I want you to spend the night here and - well… I enjoy kissing you. Very much. We could do that. Or more. I’m -” She shrugged and dragged her teeth over her bottom lip.   
“Why?”   
“You - you are not going to make this easy for me, are you?” Her nervous chuckle was met with icy silence from him. “Uh, okay, I want you to stay because…”   
“If ya just don’t wanna be alone, I can stay a bit longer. Until ya fall asleep, maybe, but I will go home eventually.” He sighed. “Some people get lonely around the holidays.” Not him, though. It made no difference for him, holidays or not, his life was always the same.   
“No, that’s not it.” With the need to refute his assumption she inched closer. “I just - I really want you to be here. With me.”   
“As friends?” he asked further.   
“As - some kind of friends,” she carefully answered. How much more obvious did she have to be, she wondered as she watched his blank face.   
“Friends with benefits?” The term ‘fuck buddies’ was on his mind but didn’t make it past his lips.   
“Yeah… if that is what you want to call it.” She blushed and dropped her gaze, but kept smiling.   
“In that case, no thanks.” Tora grabbed his guitar and got up to put it back into the case. The blood drained from her face as she stared at him.  
“Wh-what?”   
“Listen, Bobby, ya wanted time, I gave ya time. Time to figure out what ya want. But have ya thought about what I might want?” He snapped the clasps shut and straightened up.   
“But I thought… I thought you might like this?” Her bottom lip trembled and she clenched her hands in her lap.   
“Like what? You treatin’ me like some easy fuck? Yeah, sure, go on and promise me sex like it’s the only thing I’m good for.” He grabbed his jacket and slipped into his shoes.   
“No, that’s not true!” she insisted. “I just wanted-”   
“Ya and everyone else, sweetheart. Every fuckin’ chick out there sees me and thinks: ‘Looks like he’s good in the sack. And if not, he’s at least loaded.’ Some guys, too.”   
“What?” It was no surprise that a lot of women were interested in him, but surely not only in his body.   
“Only the ones that ain’t scared of me, that is. Well, sometimes even those. And they all only look at me and think about what I could do for them. How they could use me. “  
He was almost at the door when she jumped up and rushed after him.  
“Tora! That’s not true! And it’s not what I wanted to say. I just - I’m scared, okay? I’m not sure how much I can risk and - I don’t want to get hurt again.” She held onto his sleeve, relieved when he froze. He didn’t leave.   
“Yeah, I get that. But ya hurtin’ me all the time.”   
Her stomach churned. She did what?   
“What do you mean? How - how am I doing that?”   
“Thought ya would have figured it out by now.” He hung his head, forehead hitting the door with a thud. “You're so smart, thought ya would look right through me.” Carefully she slid an arm around his waist.   
“Tell me. What should I have figured out?”   
“Fuck, Poppylan, don’t make me say it.” His grip on the guitar case tightened. He was bad with this, never picked the right words. He would fuck this up like everything good in his lif . Dammit, he should have taken her up on her offer and just spent the night with her. That way he would have gotten the chance to be with her just once. He would have made it good for her, and he would have kept the memory of that night forever.   
But he had to be greedy, had to run his stupid mouth.   
“I’m scared,” she quietly mumbled behind him. “Not of you, but - I found myself thinking of you so much lately. But I can’t just shake off the feeling that you and I - that I’m not good enough for you. Not pretty enough. Not badass enough.”  
He chuckled. “Ya clocked me right in the face, sweetheart. That’s pretty badass.”   
“The thing is, Julri was… he wasn’t even half as great as you are and still he chose someone else over me. I - I just can’t-”   
He turned, the guitar hit the floor as he wrapped his arms around her.   
“I’m fucked up, sweetheart. Not boyfriend material. Not lovey-dovey or such shit.” She smelled like curry and something sweet. Vanilla, honey, something that drove him crazy. “But I swear, I’d never do that shit to ya. And just for the record: you’re too good for me.”   
“But I hurt you,” she sniffled.   
“Ya want to keep this casual and yeah, that’s shitty for me. I don’t want casual. I don’t want one night stands with ya, meaningless sex just for the sake of getting off.” He could find someone for that without any trouble after all. “Ya want me to stay? Fuck yeah. But if I do, I won’t leave again. Ever.”   
Fight or flight. Yes or no. Poppy found herself in the spot she had avoided for so long.   
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she admitted and his shoulders slumped before he straightened up again, bracing himself for the final blow.   
“And I don’t want to get hurt. I’m not good at taking risks-”  
He scoffed at that, his whole life was a risk but he didn’t take any, at least not at his job.   
“I’m not good at making decisions either,” she continued. “But - I don’t want you to leave tonight.”   
Tora inhaled sharply. “Ya sure ‘bout this? ‘Cause I mean what I said.”   
She reached up and cupped his face, pulled him closer and got up on her tiptoes to press a kiss on his lips.   
“I’m sure,” she declared. Maybe this was a bad decision, but right now it seemed to be the only possible one for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Christmas presents!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me some time, but here is the final chapter. Hope you all had peaceful and safe holidays.

This was as much of a confession he could hope for so he jumped at the chance, slid his hands under her butt and hoisted her up to press her against the door.   
“Fuck, Poppy… what are ya doin’ with me?”   
She hid her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent as she breathed in shakily.   
“I have no idea…” she confessed. “But I want to find out.”   
His hum rumbled through him, pressed so tightly against him she could feel it.   
“But first…” She squirmed in his hold, making him groan at the way she moved against him.   
“I have a gift for you. I wasn’t sure what to get you and I don’t have that much money to spend on Christmas gifts anyway so I thought…”   
She yelped when he squeezed her butt, both hands still holding her up.   
“Got some ideas already,” he rasped and kissed her again.   
“Yeah, wait… that - uhm… that idea is good, really, but I got an actual gift for you.”   
Hopefully a Christmas tree with a free spot for his blue balls, he thought and inwardly rolled his eyes. But if this was important for her he could wait a bit longer. Not much, though.   
He set her down, kissed her once again and let go of her.   
“Fine. But we’ll get back to this.”   
With a quick nod she rushed off, back into her living room where she rustled with something.   
“Come on, you can open it now.”   
On Christmas Eve. Tora chuckled briefly, he couldn’t even remember getting a Christmas gift from anyone else but Quincey. He grabbed his guitar case and followed her, ignoring the gift bag on the table just long enough to open a small pocket at the case and pull out a small present.   
“Wasn’t sure if we did this stuff…” He handed it over, simple green paper tied together with a red bow.   
“Awww… you shouldn’t have.” Excitedly she ripped it open, only to find a hamster shaped notebook and a silver fountain pen with a name engraved on the cap.   
“Really? ‘Bobby’?” But she laughed and that alone was worth the money for the pen and much more.   
“Figured a stationery snob like ya needs somethin’ better than some basic pens.”   
“It’s great, thank you so much.” Her fingertips slid over the smooth metal of the pen, the engraving tickling as her thumb rubbed over it. “Open yours now.”   
He sat down on the floor and reached for the gift bag. The paper inside rustled as he pulled it out only to find a small canvas, a square not much bigger than his hand.   
“It’s - it’s Regina’s Peak at night…” With bated breath she stared at him, waiting for a reaction.   
“That us?” he asked and pointed at two small figures at the bottom of the painting.   
“Yes. As memento of our - our outing there.”   
“As if I could ever forget that,” he scoffed. “Ya threatened to taser me all way up there.”   
Her giggle brought back his smile.   
“Thanks, sweetheart. That’s a great present.” He beckoned her over with his index finger before he tapped his cheek.   
Poppy shuffled closer and leaned in, pressed her lips against his cheek and squealed when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap.   
“Now… where were we?” His nose brushed along her neck, from the base up to behind her ear, making her shiver at the sparks he evoked under her skin.   
She slid her fingers into his hair and gently pulled his face up so she could look at him.   
“Just - one more thing.” She gnawed at her bottom lip until Tora reached up and brushed his thumb across it.   
“Tell me.”   
“I - I never… I mean, I want to but -”   
He pulled her in for another kiss, soft and sweet this time.   
“‘s fine. We can take it slow or stop or whatever ya need, okay?”   
“You - you would just stop?” The blush on her cheeks, her big brown eyes, her lips red from kissing - he wasn’t sure if he could stop, but dammit, he wouldn’t do anything against her will. This feisty lil’ hamster had him at the balls, and he didn’t mind at all.   
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Just lemme know if it’s too much or ya don’t like it. Nothin’ else ya gotta do.”   
She nodded and buried her face in the crook of his neck, cheeks burning and heart pounding in anticipation.   
She could do that. After some extremely embarrassing conversations with Erdene and some slightly disturbing videos late at night she had an idea of what was to come. Besides, this was Tora and he wasn’t perfect, but she trusted him. He would take care of her and it would be alright. And if she could believe what he had tried to tell her earlier, this wasn’t just about sex for him. It certainly wasn’t for her, but she was curious and, to be very honest, horny. She had never wanted something, someone like she wanted him now. Her own hand just wasn’t enough anymore, especially not when thoughts of him sneaked into her alone time.  
So with all the courage she could muster she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head, leaving her in her bra and the skirt.   
“Fuck, ya tryin’ to kill me?” he groaned, hands coming up to cup her breasts as he leaned in for another kiss.   
She shifted in his lap, tried to get even closer, arms around his neck as she melted into the kiss. His hands grabbed her hips, holding her close to him as his tongue found hers.  
Her skin was so smooth, warm and inviting. He slipped a hand under the waistband of that mini skirt; it had been taunting him all night already. He couldn’t wait to take it off her but he wouldn’t rush this. Having her in his arms was already too good to be true, he wanted to savour every second of this night.  
And that included getting her naked. Preferably while he was naked, too. He worked towards this by sliding his hands under her bum, the flimsy material of her panties barely covering the generous curve of her ass.   
“Sweetheart… gotta get ya out of your cute lil’ outfit or I swear I’m losing my mind.”   
Her giggle was the approval he needed to search for the zipper of her skirt. It gave way easily, but had nowhere to go with her straddling him like this. Still, it gave him some more room, he tugged it up and out of the way so he could slide both hands under her ass and squeeze it tightly while pulling her further into his lap.   
Poppy gasped and rocked her hips, making him groan in response. The friction was good, but not enough.   
She leaned back, just enough to fumble with the buttons of his shirt, fingers trembling as she undid the first three. He reached for the back of his shirt and pulled it up and off him with little struggle.   
Poppy gulped. She had caught glimpses of him before, but with his chest and arms bare, directly in front of him, she was stunned. He was perfect. Firm, broad, strong. Her fingers brushed over the tattoos on his arms, up to his shoulder and his chest.   
She scooted backwards, away from him, and shimmied out of the skirt. In her underwear and stockings she backed towards her bed without taking her eyes off of him.   
He was a predator after all, even named after a wild beast. So how should he react to such an easy prey? He jumped up and took two strides towards her, pushed her down on the bed while kissing her. His weight on top of her was just right, Poppy clung to him, wrapped arms and legs around him to trap him close to her.   
He snaked a hand under her back, fingers searching for the clasp of her bra but he waited until she nodded frantically to snap the clasp open and free her of the restrictions of this garment. His lips trailed down her neck, both hands came up to cup her breasts as he peeked at her, found her staring transfixed as his tongue darted out to circle a nipple.   
The sounds she made were foreign to her, completely new just like these sensations. She closed her eyes as he closed his lips around the sensitive peak, nibbling and sucking before he switched to the other side.   
“Still good, sweetheart?”   
“Y-yes… don’t stop…”   
His chuckle tickled her skin as he moved lower, over her belly until he could tease the skin just above the waistline of her panties. Her breath was ragged, her throat felt tight.   
“Take it off,” she whispered and raised her hips just enough so Tora could tug the material down her legs.   
He’d much rather just rip them off, but figured she wouldn’t be too happy about it. Since he was already at it he also took off her stockings and slid his hands up her bare legs.   
“Ya look so good naked… waitin’ for me…”  
She tugged at him before he could settle between her thighs, arms wide to beckon him back up. He quickly undid his belt and pushed down his pants before he joined her back on the bed, lying half on and half next to her.   
More kisses, his hand spreading her wetness between her thighs, making sparks rush through her as he found her clit. Guided by her moans he rubbed circles around it, his cock hard and leaking precum, pressed against her hip. Poppy trembled under his caress, tension high in her belly, heels digging into the mattress as her pleasure crested and pulled her under, robbed her breath and sanity until the euphoria ebbed away and only left bliss and wonder behind.   
He let her catch her breath, his lips against her temple, breathing just as ragged as hers.   
“Fuck… that was so hot.” His voice was thick with desire and adoration, his erection still prominent against her body.   
“What about you?” she panted, tempted to reach down and wrap her hand around his cock.   
“Depends on ya, sweetheart. Wanna stop here? ‘s okay, I go to the bathroom and take care of this myself.” He made clear what he referred to by rocking his hips against her body. “Ya wanna keep goin’? Hell yeah, but only if you’re really sure about it. Or ya could - give me a hand.” His breath tickled her neck, her skin sweaty and covered in goosebumps.   
“I - I want to keep going.” She sat up and reached over him towards the small set of drawers she used as a bedside table. With a condom packet she leaned back again, offering him the squared foil.   
“Extra large, huh?” He raised an eyebrow at her, plucked the condom from her and set it aside.   
“A-Alice said…”   
“Yeah, bet she did. ‘s fine, sweetheart. Ya got the right ones.” He pulled her back down and into his arms, kissed her again while his hand traveled down her body once more, brushing over her wet folds.   
“What-?!”   
“Gotta make sure you’re ready, Poppy. Learned one thing from bein’ Quinceton’s beta reader, and that is ya gotta take care of your girl.” To make it good for her. He would make sure she wouldn’t regret this night, this decision. This wasn’t just meaningless sex, it was the most meaningful sex he’d ever had. And the first for her, so the pressure was on.   
The first finger slid in easily, she was relaxed and wet enough to take a second finger after a few thrusts.   
He wanted to bring her to another orgasm, but the way his cock jumped at every single moan leaving her beautiful lips left no doubt that he wouldn’t make it much longer. Once he thought she was sufficiently prepared he pulled his fingers out, kissed her again and reached for the condom.   
“Wait.”   
He paused. Poppy sat up.   
“Ya wanna do this?” Offering her the condom he waited for her decision, but she shook her head.   
“I have no idea how to do that. I just - can I touch you?”   
Tora groaned and slumped back into the pillows. “Sure thing. Just - I‘m at my limit. Careful, okay?”   
She nodded and tentatively touched his cock. Firm and silky, bobbing a bit when she pulled her hand back. She inhaled deeply. It was big. When she curled her fingers around him, they didn’t touch.   
Tora groaned again when she moved her hand, the sound traveled down her spine and made warmth pool in her core again. Intimidated by his size but too turned on, too curious to back down she leaned in and kissed his lips before she settled on her back again.   
Tora shifted, opened the wrapper and rolled the condom over his cock. Every cell in his body screamed at him to simply fuck her already, but he gritted his teeth and and settled on top of her, kissed her again while he nudged her thighs apart enough to get into position.   
“Ya good?”   
“Uh-huh.” She wriggled her hips, hands buried in the sheets, chest heaving with her shallow breaths.   
“Tell me if I need to stop,” he reminded her again. Popped up on one elbow he guided his cock with his free hand. She was wet enough for him to push in easily, but her gasp made him move back.   
“No, don’t stop,” she whined, one hand finding his hip and encouraging him to push back in. He did, slowly, pulling back every so often before he sank in deeper again. Poppy arched her back, allowing her legs to open more so he could slot his hips against her, his cock fully buried inside of her.   
There was pressure, but not exactly pain. She was stretched to the limit, she could tell, and felt as if there wasn’t enough room in her body for both his cock and air in her lungs. Poppy exhaled deeply, shudderingly, slumping deeper into the mattress. Tora nuzzled her neck, gave her time to get used to the new sensation and distracted her with small kisses on her cheeks, her lips, her nose.   
Both hands on his waist she nudged him, letting him know he could move.   
And he did. Slow, deep thrusts, grinding against her before he pulled back only to do it all again. Her head spun, her heart raced and her legs trembled, half of her body felt numb and the other half sore, but she had never felt so alive.   
“Ya think ya can cum for me again?” he grunted, strands of hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. Poppy brushed them away and smiled, leaned in for another deep kiss.   
“No. I can barely keep my eyes open, I feel like I’m floating.” Her chuckle ended in a moan when he pushed in again. “But I want you to cum.”   
With her hair a mess, patches of red on her cheeks, her chest and neck, her wide eyes filled with bliss he almost came on the spot.   
“Kinda don’t want this to end,” he admitted, resting his forehead against hers.   
“Me neither.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, sharing her breath with him, her body, her everything. “But I’m reaching my limit here.”   
“Should I stop?” He brushed his lips across her cheek and nibbled at her earlobe.   
“No, just - don’t draw it out much longer.”   
As if he needed her to tell her that. He was barely keeping it together, his control was hanging by a threat. So he simply nodded, buried his face in the crook of her neck and found a good rhythm, one that allowed him to increase his pleasure without getting too rough with her.   
Although she had claimed to be tired, she clung to him and moaned, enjoying every second of this. When Tora’s thrusts faltered and he lost his rhythm, tensed and stilled before he slumped down on her, Poppy whispered encouraging words, her hands rubbing his back. They stayed like that for a few heartbeats, closer than ever in both body and heart, before he kissed her a last time and pulled out. While he took care of the condom Poppy dozed off, barely noticing how he slipped back into bed and pulled the blanket over them. She fully fell asleep in his arms, safe, warm and completely sated. 

The morning light found them snuggled together. Tora was awake already, his thoughts moving lazily from one topic to another, none of them unpleasant for once. Poppy squinted, it was too early and she was too sore to get up.   
“Merry Christmas,” she croaked, her voice thick with sleep.   
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart. How are ya feelin’?”   
She inched closer and rested her head on his chest. “Tired. But good. And you?”   
“Feelin’ great.” He emphasized his words by sliding a hand down her body and squeezing her butt. Poppy giggled.   
“I wasn’t sure if you would actually stay the night.” She drew circles with her fingers into his skin, idly following the lines of his tattoos.   
“Ya asked me to stay, so I did.”   
She hummed and kissed his chest. Right above his heart.   
“So, what’s your plan for today?” he asked and shifted slightly. If she didn’t stop soon he couldn’t guarantee to behave.   
“I have the day off and wanted to take it easy today.” With a content sigh she snuggled closer against him.   
“‘s Christmas. Shouldn’t ya check if Santa deemed ya a good girl?”   
She blinked. “But - you already gave me a gift.”   
“‘s not from me, sweetheart, but from Santa,” he repeated and motioned towards her pillow. Poppy sat up, the blanket wrapped around her, and lifted her pillow. There sat a small bag on her bed, just as big as her palm. She fumbled with the drawstrings and reached into it only to pull out a silver charm bracelet.   
“Oh my… this is… beautiful.”   
She held it into the light, turned it this way and that. The early Christmas morning sun sparkled on different charms: a book, a star, a tiger and a flower.   
“Couldn’t get a poppy,” he explained and she held it out to him to fasten it around her wrist.   
“It’s perfect,” she mumbled, eyes swimming in happy tears.   
“Nah, sweetheart. It’s just pretty. You are perfect.” He kissed her again, a promise of more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that's all, folks. This was meant as a one-shot but yeah... hope you enjoyed it!


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